Phone: 708-209-4078
Email: registrar@cuchicago.edu
Location: Addison 155
Website: https://www.cuchicago.edu/academics/academic-resources/registrar/
Registrar FAQ: https://www.cuchicago.edu/academics/academic-resources/registrar/registrar---general-faq/

The Office of the Registrar supports the core functions of the University's academic division including course registration, student academic records, course schedules, academic catalogs, transcripts, licensure, student directory information and more.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all classes as part of the learning process, both in face-to-face and online courses. As a University student, each individual must develop a sense of personal responsibility. CUC defines class attendance as follows:

In face-to-face courses and university assigned study groups (e.g., recitations), documented physical presence in class meetings. 

In an online course, documenting that a student has logged into an online class is not sufficient to demonstrate academic attendance by the student. According to the U.S. Department of Education, a school must demonstrate that a student participated in class or was otherwise engaged in an academically related activity. Examples of acceptable evidence of academic attendance and attendance at an academically related activity in a distance education course/program include:

• student submission of an academic assignment, 
• student submission of an exam, 
• documented student participation in an interactive tutorial or computer-assisted instruction, 
• a posting by the student showing the student’s participation in an online study group that is assigned by the institution,
• a posting by the student in a discussion forum showing the student’s participation in an online discussion about academic matters, and
• an email from the student or other documentation showing that the student initiated contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course. 

Students can expect faculty members to have a clear attendance policy in each course syllabus and/or the policy section of Blackboard that conforms with the university class attendance policy. Students are expected to be aware of the attendance policy in each course for which they are enrolled.

Students may not receive credit on individual assignments or assessments, and may receive a reduced/failing course grade if they do not observe attendance requirements set for their classes. 

The university expectation is that students will not miss more than 25% of class attendance whether authorized or unauthorized. Some programs or faculty members may have different expectations; students are expected to be aware of any variations from this expectation. For information on requesting an incomplete, students should review the Incomplete Policy. For information on requesting to drop or withdraw from a course, students should review the pertinent section in their Academic Catalog and speak with their advisor.  If a student needs to request a drop or withdrawal after the deadline, they should use the Dean of Students Appeal Form.   

Also note the Administrative Drop and Administrative Withdrawal policies in the Academic Information - Registration Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.

Authorized Absences from Class 

A student representing the university at university-sponsored events is granted authorized absences from class provided that the student is in good academic standing and has complied with approved procedures. See the Student-Athlete Class Attendance Policy  for absences due to participation in athletics. Faculty members will receive email notifications regarding authorized student absences via Navigate.

When leading/hosting a university-sponsored event where students will be absent, faculty members should notify the Office of the Dean of Students so that it can send out notifications to the CUC community.  

In compliance with Title IX, absences due to pregnancy, recovery, or related conditions must be authorized if the student’s physician deems the absence medically necessary. Regarding all absences tied to pregnancy, recovery or related conditions, students should email TitleIX@CUChicago.edu with documentation included for any such absence. The Office of the Dean of Students will review request and documentation and notify faculty members if absences are authorized. Faculty members are expected to assist pregnant and parenting students (female and male) by providing them with options, such as extended deadlines, make-up assignments or alternate learning activities.  

At the discretion of a faculty member, at times in consultation with the Office of the Dean of Students and in line with a program’s requirements, absences due to medical and mental health issues, personal crises, military orders, or contractual obligations may be authorized.  Students should complete the following form to notify the Office of the Dean of Students with documentation included for any such absence. 

An authorized absence does not excuse a student from course material, assignments or exams. It is ultimately up to each faculty member to decide what, if any, accommodation can be provided for an authorized absence. It is the student's responsibility to initiate a request for an accommodation with the faculty member. It is also a student’s primary responsibility to schedule courses to minimize potential class absences.

Degree Revocation

Concordia University Chicago (CUC) reserves the right to revoke a degree, certificate, endorsement, and/or credential awarded to a student if CUC concludes there is evidence of at least one of the following reasons:   

• academic and/or ethical misconduct (examples include, but are not limited to plagiarism, cheating on an assignment/exam, dishonesty, inappropriate use and/or violations of generative AI policies, etc.) as outlined in the university’s Honor Code and the Student Handbook.  
• misrepresentation or falsification of credentials (examples include, but are not limited to transcript, certificate, letter of recommendation, foreign transcript evaluation, diploma, etc.).  
• fabrication or falsification of research data, and academic dishonesty.  
• institutional policy violation(s) outlined in CUC’s publications.  
• degree, certificate, endorsement, professional experience, and/or credential requirements outlined in the student’s academic catalog are not met.   

Additionally, CUC reserves the right to withhold a degree, certificate, endorsement, and/or credential not yet conferred while CUC awaits the findings of an investigation or hearing based on the aforementioned reasons.   

CUC will not revoke a degree, certificate, endorsement, and/or credential awarded to a student unless an investigation or hearing has revealed at least one of the aforementioned reasons has occurred. If CUC recommends the revocation of a degree, certificate, endorsement, and/or credential the student will be informed of the allegation(s). The student may request a hearing within thirty days of being informed of CUC’s recommendation to revoke a degree, certificate, endorsement, and/or credential; all hearing decisions are final and may not be appealed. Any questions about this policy can be directed to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@cuchicago.edu or 708-209-4078.   

Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Policy and Annual Notice to Students

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended, is a federal law that protects the privacy of student Educational Records maintained by the University.  FERPA and its accompanying regulations require confidentiality unless the records are directory information or an exception for disclosure applies.

View the full provisions of our policy here.

Licensure

After you have recently completed a program leading to Illinois licensure, Concordia-Chicago's Licensure Officer will contact you once your licensure has been processed on your Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) account. The Licensure Officer can also assist with other licensure-related questions and out-of-state licensure processing. Contact the Office of the Registrar or licensure@CUChicago.edu for more information.

Official Transcript and Received Document Policies

All official transcript requests are processed by the National Student Clearinghouse. The transcript can be sent electronically by email or in a paper format by USPS mail. If a student selects the paper format and would like to pick it up on campus, please contact the Office of the Registrar as soon as the order is placed at registrar@cuchicago.edu.

A transcript order is defined as a request for an official transcript to each destination/address; each separate destination/address constitutes a separate order. Each transcript is $8.00 per copy and is available as an electronic transcript or hard-copy transcript. All administrative obligations to CUC must be cleared in order to prompt the release of CUC transcripts and diplomas.

Paper Transcript(s): An official transcript is usually printed on special watermarked paper. It includes the registrar’s signature and/or the institution’s seal, and should arrive packaged in a sealed envelope from the institution. Paper transcript(s) delivered to Concordia University Chicago by hand or mail will be accepted as long as the envelope containing the transcript(s) remains sealed. If the envelope has been opened, tampered with, damaged, or compromised in any way the transcript(s) will be considered unofficial.

E-transcript(s) (electronic): An e-transcript is official when sent directly to Concordia University Chicago from the originating institution. E-transcript(s) forwarded to Concordia University Chicago from the applicant/student, whether it be the PDF of the document(s) or a link to the download service, will be considered unofficial.

All administrative obligations to CUC must be cleared in order to prompt the release of CUC transcripts and diploma(s). Students who graduated prior to June 2023 should contact the Office of the Registrar at Registrar@cuchicago.edu if they have not received their transcripts and/or diploma(s).

Received Documents: The Office of the Registrar does not release received documents such as transcripts, test scores, etc., that have become the property of Concordia University Chicago. Since Concordia-Chicago is not the official, legal custodian of record for any documents that did not originate at the institution, the office does not have the appropriate authority to release them. Therefore, please contact the originating institution or organization that produced the original records in order to obtain such documents.

Posthumous Degree Awarding

Concordia University Chicago (CUC) feels for the families of students who have passed away near the completion of their degree(s). In order to be considered for a posthumous degree the following criteria must be met at the time of their passing:  

• The student must have been at the following degree progress threshold:  

• Undergraduate students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree must have earned a minimum of 75% of the credit hours required for their degree.  

• Graduate students pursuing a Master’s or Education Specialist degree must have earned a minimum of 75% of the credit hours required for their degree.  

• Graduate students pursuing a doctoral degree (Doctor of Education, Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Business Administration) must have successfully defended their dissertation proposal; if graduate students pursuing a doctoral degree (Doctor of Education, Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Business Administration) have not successfully defended their dissertation proposal, but have earned a minimum of 75% of the credit hours required for their degree they may be awarded an Education Specialist in Leadership degree (as applicable) or Master’s degree (as applicable, and as determined by the academic college dean).  

• The student must have been currently enrolled at the university or on an official leave of absence.  

• The student with transfer credit must have successfully completed a minimum of 12 credits (undergraduate students) and a minimum of 9 credits (graduate students) at CUC.   

• The student must have been in good academic standing.  

• The student must have been in good standing with the Office of the Dean of Students.  

• The student must have been in good standing with the academic dean of the college in which their program resides.  

A posthumous degree is awarded at the request of the student’s family. To initiate a request, family members should contact the Office of the Dean of Students at DOS@CUChicago.edu.  

Preferred First Name

Concordia University Chicago (CUC) understands that students may desire, for personal reasons, to use a preferred first name to identify themselves on occasion. Current students may choose to submit from their CUC email a request for a preferred first name to be entered into the student information system (SIS) by contacting the Office of the Registrar at registrar@cuchicago.edu. If approved, the preferred first name will be visible to select staff in the Personal Information portion of the SIS and may be on unofficial university documents and tools at the discretion of select staff and faculty.   

Permissible preferred first names include the following:  

• A common, familiar or shortened version of the legal name on file.  
• A middle name instead of the first name on file.  
• Initials of the legal name on file.  
• An anglicized name.  

CUC will not accept a preferred first name that does not meet the above criteria and/or used for fraudulent purposes/misrepresentation.  

CUC’s use of a preferred first name will not replace a legal name as required by law or CUC policy as in the following examples, which are not limited to:  

• Institutional Reporting.  
• Financial Aid.  
• Transcripts.  
• Diploma. 
• Human Resources.  
• International Student Services documentation.  
• Enrollment and Degree Verification.  
• University Systems (e.g. Degree Works, Blackboard, Navigate, class roster, email, and more).   

Student Address and Change of Address

Definitions: 

• Prospective students – students that are not yet enrolled in a Concordia University Chicago program as of the first day of the term per the academic calendar.
• Current students – active students that are enrolled in a Concordia University Chicago program as of the first day of the term per the academic calendar.
• Students – Students are inclusive of both prospective and current students.  

To maintain accurate records for university communication, the administration of financial aid, certification or licensure, and other documentation, as well as other regulatory reporting data Concordia University Chicago (CUC) students are required to:  

• Provide their current, permanent address (the physical location in which the student resides) in Concordia Connect or by submitting a Change of Personal Information Form to the Office of the Registrar.   
• Update university records within five business days of when their address changes during their enrollment, in any modality, at CUC.   

CUC will use the self-reported permanent address as the student’s physical location for reporting purposes. Please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@cuchicago.edu or 708-209-4078 with any questions. 

Students enrolled in certification or licensure programs   

CUC is required to disclose information regarding requirements for programs that lead to certification or licensure, which include whether a state or territory’s certification or licensure requirements are 1) met 2) not met or 3) do not yet have a determination. CUC must inform the student in writing if the student’s program leading to certification or licensure 1) does not meet or 2) does not yet have a determination, in the state or territory of the student’s self-reported permanent address. If the status of the programs leading to certification or licensure changes to not met for the state or territory listed in the student’s self-reported permanent address, CUC must inform the student in writing within fourteen days.  

Student Use of Artificial Intelligence at Concordia University Chicago

Introduction 

The purpose of this policy is to provide students with general guidelines on the use of generative AI. The responsible use of generative AI is vital to ensuring a productive and ethical learning environment.  

Guiding Principles 

1. Responsibility, Accountability and Transparency: 

The central tenet of academic integrity is doing your own work. Many students have already begun using AI tools to aid in their studies. It is important to recognize that generative AI tools cannot replace the value of independent thinking or scholarship. Consider the following when using AI tools in the process of learning, writing, and conducting research.  

 Faculty instructors set the policy for how, if, and when AI tools can be used in classes. Talk with your instructors about what is considered responsible use of generative AI in their specific course.  

• As outlined in the Honor Code, the unauthorized use of artificial intelligence bots, is considered cheating.  The use of AI on class assignments is only allowed how and when expressly permitted by the faculty instructor. 
• AI should never be presented as your own work. Use appropriate citations when using content generated by AI tools. Full disclosure of the use of AI is required by students. Course instructors will provide guidance on the proper citation for AI tools.  

2. Verification and Fact-Checking: 

Students must ensure the quality of the information in their work, regardless of the tools used to produce it. It is imperative to think critically when interacting with generative AI tools. When using content generated by AI tools with permission, students should do the following:  

• AI is known to create false resources. Ensure the actual existence and accuracy of all citations generated by AI.    
• AI is known to generate false, misleading or outdated content. Critically review, evaluate and revise AI generated content prior to submission.  

3. Confidentiality and Privacy: 

To ensure confidentiality and privacy when using content generated by AI tools with permission, students should do the following:  

• Do not share your or anyone else’s personal information. 
• Do not enter any confidential or protected data into publicly-available generative AI tools.  

Verification (Enrollment, Degree and more)

Concordia University Chicago has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide enrollment and degree verifications on its behalf.

Verification: The Office of the Registrar provides students with verification of their enrollment status (full- or part-time), dates of attendance, anticipated date of graduation, and program of study. Students seeking verification can download their certified enrollment report through their MyHub account (which they can access through their student portal), provide the Office of the Registrar with a form from a third party or they can request a letter by completing the Enrollment Verification form and submitting it to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@cuchicago.edu. The Office of the Registrar can only verify previous and current semesters. Requests for the current semester verifications cannot be completed until after the last date to drop a class for the current term the student is enrolled in. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for exact drop deadlines.

Degree Verification: Students may request degree verification in one of two ways:

• Online: www.degreeverify.org
• By Mail:
  National Student Clearinghouse
  2300 Dulles Station Boulevard, Suite 300
  Herndon, VA 20171

Verification of Student Identity Policy

To uphold internal expectations and to ensure external compliance Concordia University Chicago (CUC) verifies its students’ identity via the following:
 

• Issuing a secure login and password to accepted students.

• Utilizing integrated technologies and best practices.

CUC issues a secure login and password to students upon acceptance, which allows them access to Concordia IT systems. As part of the application process a student acknowledges and verifies that the information they submitted to CUC is accurate and correct. Therefore, upon acceptance an email is sent to the email address the student supplied as part of the application process, including their unique username and password. The language of the email recommends that the student change their password immediately for security purposes and additionally, the university’s password manager allows students to change their password at any time following best practices (a minimum of 15 characters, a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols/special characters). Furthermore, CUC requires that students change their password at least once a year.

CUC’s student information system (Banner) contains data directly uploaded from the student’s application and other submitted documentation. Therefore, student’s privileged information (such as academic, billing, the learning management system, and more) cannot be accessed without the university-issued login credentials.

CUC’s learning management system (Blackboard) uploads information directly from the student information system (Banner) so course registrations (adding and dropping classes) and rosters are automatically pulled hourly. Since the source of the data is Banner, students are not able to create or alter course subjects, numbers, reference numbers (CRNs), titles, grades, and details in Blackboard. Furthermore, students can only access Blackboard with university-issued login credentials so this ensures that only students may access the online classroom based on their submitted registration.

CUC offers resources and support to registered students. Some examples of academic support include CULearn (peer tutoring, mentoring, and more), accessibility and accommodations, math support (only undergraduate), writing support, email, and more. Since the source of the data is Banner, student data is automatically populated into Navigate and/or Gmail based on the student’s original submission. Additionally, in order to schedule an appointment to access these services or send an email to campus personnel and/or students, a student must use their university-issued login credentials, which help affirm a student’s identity.

CUC expects the login credentials provided to an individual is for the individual's exclusive use only via the Information Technology Resources Policy. It is a violation of this policy for an individual to provide his or her password to anyone or to allow others to use his or her login credentials to access the student account (Banner, Blackboard, and more). Accessing an account other than by way of the individual's university-issued login credentials or attempting to discover and/or impersonate an individual is prohibited and in violation of CUC’s Student Code of Conduct and Honor Code, which may result in disciplinary action. Any questions about this policy can be directed to the Office of the Dean of Students at DOS@CUChicago.edu or at 708-209-3498